Do You Have A Little Time?
by bjames238
Summary: A.U. Brooke has a son and works two jobs. On their way out one day, someone notices her. Someone who's a guy. Who is he? Will he work his charms on Brooke?
1. Chapter 1

Do You Have A Little Time?

One Tree Hill A.U.

Okay, so this is something I got the idea for yesterday when I was sitting in a restaurant where my mom works waiting for her to get done. I wanted to try this pairing out 'cause I'm liking Julian more and more every time I watch the last episode. Not with Peyton, of course, but I think Brulian could be a good pairing. Reviews are lovely and would greatly be appreciated! Oh, and the title came from a Dido song by the same name!

Prologue: Very Interesting Indeed

"Okay, kiddo...let's go," Brooke picked up her purse, the diaper bag, and the toy bag, and slung them all on her shoulder.

"Mommy, where are we going?" 4 ½ year old Tommy grabbed his stuffed puppy dog off the counter and took his mommy's hand. She pulled her keys out of the pocket in her apron and held on to his hand.

"We have to go to the store before we drop you off at your aunt and uncles so mommy can go back to work," Brooke informed her young son.

"Will Kayla be there?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, your cousin Kayla will be there," Brooke answered.

"Yay!" Tommy cheered.

"Now let's hurry so Mommy's not late," Brooke and Tommy disappeared out of the diner door.

As they left, a man sitting alone in one of the booth put his newspaper down. A stack of movie scripts lay untouched to his right and a sleek blackberry rested on his right.

A waitress came up to his table and set down a glass of orange juice, "Here's your juice, Mr. Baker. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, I believe that will be good. Could I have the check please?" Mr. Baker smiled.

"Okay then, I'll get it right away," The waitress walked away.

"I think Tree Hill is going to be very interesting. Very interesting indeed," Mr. Baker smiled to himself as he put his hands behind his head and leaned back comfortably. "Very interesting. I may even make a visit to the grocery store..."

To Be Continued . . .

P.S. So this is my first try with Brooke/Julian. It's just a start but I wanted to see how well it did before deciding whether or not to continue it. So what's the deal with Tommy? Who's his father? Is Brooke married, divorced, single, widowed . . .

What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

Do You Have A Little Time?

_One Tree Hill A.U. Brooke/Julian_

_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. I had a few details I was juggling around and I finally got it to where I wanted it. Enjoy! _

Chapter One: Definitely Starting To Like

"Tommy, please stop asking Mommy for so many things . . ." Brooke sighed as she pushed the cart down the aisle and Tommy walked beside her.

"Why?" Came Tommy's response.

"Because Mommy said so," Brooke picked up a box of cereal from the shelf and threw it in the cart. It was the cheapest in the store—which was all her very low budget would afford her—but Tommy wouldn't care nonetheless. They always used the cheapest things . . . ever since Tommy's father literally disappeared off the face of the Earth she'd been forced to get two jobs just to support her and her young son. Her friends always offered to help . . . but she wanted to prove she could raise Tommy by herself. Her parents were of no help--they'd cut her off when she told them about Tommy—and Tommy's paternal grandparents were long dead. Sure her house wasn't as beautiful as Naley's and her car wasn't quite as reliable as Leyton's Mustang and Comet . . . but she was able to put a roof over Tommy's head, food on the table, and her used Oldsmobile brought Tommy to and from school and her to and from work . . . most of the time . . .

"Are we done yet?" Tommy ran his fingers on the shelf as they walked.

"Just about, sweetie," Brooke told him, "Just a couple more things."

The boy seemed satisfied with his mother's answer and the continued down the aisle. Then again, he always had been. He'd never cared that he didn't have as many nice things as his cousins. He truly was a remarkable boy. They turned the corner. "Mommy . . . why don't I have a daddy like my cousins do? Their daddies always play with them and live at their house."

Brooke took a deep breath. She'd been regretting this ever since her ass of an ex-boyfriend decided to split and leave no forwarding address. She looked into Tommy's waiting brown eyes. "Well, honey . . ." Brooke began. "Sometimes Mommy's and Daddy's aren't supposed to be together . . ."

~*~

Julian wandered into the grocery store. It wasn't terribly big...much smaller than the ones he was used to in Los Angeles. _Much_ smaller. Then again, Tree Hill wasn't that big of a city. In fact, that's why he'd chosen it. L.A. was too much . . . too many people, too many celebrities, too much smog . . . just too much. He didn't know how he or anyone else concentrated while all that activity was going on. This was his first day in Tree Hill and already he felt ten times relaxed than he'd felt in a long time.

He casually walked around, suddenly remembering the reason he'd come to Tree Hill's only grocery store in the first place: That woman and her kid. There was just something about that woman . . .

The sultry rasp in her voice, the long brunette curls, the sad/tired look in her eyes, the gentle motherly tone she took with her son . . . it was enough to send him over the edge. He just _had_ to get to know this woman.

All he had to do now was find her.

The store was small, but there were enough aisles that a person could get lost. Damn, this could take all day . . . he couldn't give up though. If all he got was to see her for today . . . that would be enough. Talking to her would be heaven, but he'd be satisfied with what he could get.

". . . when I'm done with work tomorrow afternoon we'll go to the zoo, okay? How does that sound buddy?"

"Okay, Mommy."

Bingo. Julian raced up the aisle and around the corner to the next one. There they were. The boy was standing next to the cart and his mother was knelt in front of him with her hands on his shoulders. It was obvious they were having a mother-son chat about something. Julian quickly thought of something that would get him and the woman talking . . . he eyed the shelf right behind the pair: coffee. _Bleh_ . . . . he hated coffee. He'd touched the stuff once when he was a teenager, hated it with a passion, and vowed to never touch the stuff again. However . . .

. . . desperate times called for desperate measures. He would be buying some coffee today—all in favor of talking to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

He casually strolled up to the mother and son and cleared his throat. The woman looked up—_even her eyes are drop-dead gorgeous_, Julian thought—and the boy shot a quizzical look at the older man. The young mother stood up, slightly and subtlety (but not enough that Julian didn't see it) hiding her child from the stranger.

"Can I help you?" There was that maternal tone again. Despite the fact that she probably thought he was a psycho about to attack her "cub" . . . he still found that voice of her sexy as hell.

Julian smiled that smile that warmed the hearts of so many girls in his life and pointed behind her. "Just need to get some coffee, if you don't mind."

She looked confused for a minute . . . but then looked behind her cart and nodded. "Oh . . . sorry, I'll just get out of your way." She blushed and pushed her son and groceries with her.

"It's no problem," Julian shrugged. _Actually, it's quite the opposite from a problem._ He randomly picked up a bag of coffee grounds, not caring what it was because he didn't plan on drinking it in the first place.

"I was just talking to my son for a minute, guess I forgot there's other people here too," She chuckled nervously.

"Y-yeah . . ." He stumbled, trying to get his mouth to communicate with what his brain wanted to say. "B-boys will be boy, I guess."

"Seems to be the general consensus," Her lips curled into the most adorable smirk he'd ever seen. But even though her lips were smiling, her eyes were told a different story. Her eyes . . . she was tired, overworked, and just about ready to collapse from exhaustion. How did he know that? His mother had the same look in her eyes in the years after his parents divorced and she had to play the role of single mother.

Julian focused his attention on the kid. He had dark hair and eyes just like his mother. At the moment, the young boy's attention was on several boxes of cereal on the other side of the aisle. "He looks like an okay kid to me."

"Every kid's got their up and down days," There was that tired look again. Now he knew he had to get to know this woman. Every part of him wanted to do everything in his power to make her and her son happy.

"I'm Julian," He blurted out. "Baker. That's my last name." Whoa . . . where had that come from? Her eyes widened in the shock of his sudden outburst. "I . . . I have a confession to make." The same quizzical look her son had just before graced her soft features. He held up the bag of coffee in his hands and put it back in its place on the shelf. "I hate coffee. I think it's the most disgusting thing on the face of the earth but . . . I'd drink it if you went out for coffee with me." The beautiful brown orbs in her eyes were skeptical. "You could even bring your son if you wanted too."

The boy suddenly became aware of his presence in the adults' conversation and looked over. His mother's mouth was open as her head turned to and fro between her son and Julian. "Um . . . I-I don't know what to say . . ." She was still alternating between the boy and the man.

"You could say yes . . . and then if you get really adventurous you could tell me your name," Julian was hopeful.

"Um . . ." Now all her focus was on Julian. Eyes searching his for an answer he knew they both wanted but she was trying decide whether she would let herself want it. Her mouth still hung open. "Um . . . ah . . ." _Come on, say it! You know you want to!_ Julian shouted inside his head. "Um . . . I wou-I'm Brooke Davis and this is my son Tommy." _There we go!_ Julian relaxed a little. Brooke Davis held out her hand and he shook it. "I would love to go out for coffee with you." Her cheeks flamed again . . . god was she beautiful!

Yep . . . he was definitely starting to like Tree Hill more and more.

_To Be Continued . . ._

_P.S. Any thoughts?_


End file.
